Ukranian fighter pilot Vadym Oleksandrovych Vorochylov - call sign 'Karaya' - in front of his 204th BrTA MiG 29 'blue 47' armed with R-73 and R-27R air-to-air missiles.
A 'star' of Western media outlets Vadym Oleksandrovych Vorochylov was born on 2 February 1994 at Kremenchuk, south-west of Poltava. A graduate of the Ukranian air force national academy 'Ivan Kojedub' in 2016 he was assigned to the 204th Tactical Brigade (204 brihada taktichnoyi aviatsiyi or BrTA, tactical aviation brigade) in Kulbakino and from 2018 in Lutsk flying the MiG 29. In 2020 he earned the homour of 'best Ukranian fighter pilot' but in June 2021 he resigned after his short service commission of five years, citing as one of his principal reasons in an article in the Kyiv Post newspaper the lack of flying hours in the UkAF - between 35-80 per year- as compared to the NATO standard of around 180 hours (including 40 on simulator) and his low salary (the equivalent of around 750 euros/month)
With the launch of Putin's 'special military operation' on 24 February 2022 Vorochylov immediately rejoined the 204 BrTA with the rank of Major. According to various internet sources his unit comprised just 22 aircraft - 16 single-seat MiG 29s, including 'blue 07' and 'blue 08' (MiG 29 MU 1 'modernised'), four twin-seat MiG 29 UBs and two training Aero L-39s.After sustaining heavy losses - including that of Maj. Yevgeny Lysenko on 9 March - the MiG 29s were removed from operations over the front lines and tasked with defending Ukranian territory from Russian cruise missile and drone attacks which became a virtually nightly feature of the war. The Iranian Shahed-136 drones in particular were almost impossible to bring down for Ukranian anti-aircraft defences, being too small and too slow with their low 'thermal' signature and small radar cross section - explosive charge 35kg, range 1000 kms, speed 185 km/h. At night the drones were impossible to detect visually, especially from the cockpit of a MiG 29. On 5 October 2022 the MiGs of the 204th brought down their first three Shahed drones.
On 11 October Vorochylov downed his first two drones and a further three on the following morning. That evening Vorochylov was again airborne and brought down his fourth and fifth drones. However his MiG was hit by the debris of his last target. He managed to turn his machine away from a built-up area before ejecting as fire erupted in the cockpit. Hanging in his parachute straps and with bloodied features after his windshield shattered wounding his cheek, Vorochylov had the presence of mind to take the 'selfie' for which he is 'famous' across the internet!
